[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 15, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7486-S7488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Save Our Seas 2.0 Act
Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I want to talk today with my
colleagues Senator Menendez and Senator Whitehouse on a really
important piece of legislation that is heading to the President's desk,
and this is Save Our Seas 2.0.
It is the follow-on to the Save Our Seas Act that we passed in the
Congress last Congress, and that was an important one mostly about
ocean cleanup, but we thought we could do more. We thought, working
with different groups--so many groups--and the executive branch, the
Trump administration, that we could do a lot more. So we got to work.
I want to thank my colleagues on the floor today--Senator Whitehouse
of Rhode Island and Senator Menendez of New Jersey--for their work,
their leadership, their cooperation.
Senator Whitehouse in particular I really want to single out as
probably the Member of the U.S. Senate who is focused on our oceans. He
and I started collaborating on these issues about 6 years ago, right
after I first came to the U.S. Senate, and I have learned a lot from
Senator Whitehouse on these issues.
We have kind of been an odd couple. We don't always agree on
everything politically, but on these issues and a lot of other issues
we not only agree but our teams work together, we work together, and,
importantly, we are getting a lot--a lot--done.
There have been a lot of folks who have really helped us in this
regard and, again, in a bipartisan way. This bill is an important bill.
This bill had three committees of the U.S. Senate and eight committees
in the House.
So Members--whether it was Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member
Carper of the EPW Committee, as I mentioned; on Foreign Relations,
Chairman Risch; and, of course, Senator Menendez as the ranking member
on the Commerce Committee; Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell;
on the House side, I just got off the phone with the dean of the House,
Congressman Don Young, a great, great Congressman; Representative
Bonamici. She also has been a great advocate.
We all were aware of the challenge. This is a huge challenge: ocean
debris, plastics. It is a gigantic challenge for my State.
Now, I brag about Alaska a lot. Here is a little bit more bragging:
We have more coastline than the rest of the country combined, in terms
of their coastline. So we see the garbage. We see the trash. We see it,
unfortunately, washing up on the shores of Alaska, and that impacts
negatively not just the environment but the economy, our fishing
industry, our fishing communities, our coastal communities.
You may have heard about this World Economic Forum study that said if
we don't do anything about the pollution challenge that relates to
plastics, by 2050 there could be more weight in terms of plastics in
the ocean than there are fish. Think about that. That is a challenge.
So we got to work, and here is the thing that I think is so exciting:
This is a solvable issue. Estimates are that up to 80 percent of all
plastics in the ocean around the globe come from 10 rivers in Asia and
Africa. So, of course, it has a huge international component to it.
[[Page S7487]]
But I just want to thank both Senators Whitehouse and Menendez. I am
going to turn the floor over to Senator Menendez to say a few words on
this, particularly the international side, which is so important.
I will talk a little bit more about what is in the legislation, but
this is an example--and it happens a lot; we don't always read about
it--of this body coming together on big issues and making a big impact.
So Save Our Seas 2.0 is heading to the President's desk. I do want to
compliment the President and his team. They had a lot to do with this.
They have been very motivated on these issues as well.
This is everybody coming together to address a problem that we know
is a problem but that we can solve, and we are putting American
leadership out front, which will be good for Alaska, good for Rhode
Island, good for New Jersey, good for America, and good for the world.
Senator Menendez.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, let me thank Senator Sullivan for his
introduction of our efforts here today and to really commend him for
working in such a bipartisan spirit to drive an important piece of
legislation, to really address the future of future generations of
Alaskans, of Rhode Islanders, and New Jerseyans--and Americans, as well
as other people across the world.
I agree with Senator Sullivan that Senator Whitehouse's name is
synonymous with the oceans and his focus on this is singular and his
perspective is of the utmost importance.
I want to rise to join my colleagues from Alaska and Rhode Island to
celebrate the enactment of Save Our Seas 2.0 and to thank our
colleagues, both in the House and the Senate, for their votes in
support of the most comprehensive piece of legislation to address the
growing global environmental threat of plastic waste in our oceans. I
want to thank Representatives Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon and Don
Young of Alaska for their commitment and leadership in shepherding the
bill through the House.
To my colleagues, Senator Sullivan and Senator Whitehouse, it has
been a great pleasure working with you on these issues. The passion,
the knowledge, the persistence you have brought to solving the problem
of plastic waste in the world's oceans is incredible, and it was
essential to our shared success.
Plastic pollution in our oceans is truly a global problem that
literally washes up on New Jersey shores, impacting businesses and
communities across our State. This calamity is yet another reminder
that Americans are directly impacted by the policies and practices of
countries around the world. Plastic debris in our oceans does not
respect international borders.
The abundance of plastic waste in our ocean requires comprehensive
action alongside the fight against climate change. Save Our Seas 2.0
will bolster U.S. leadership and global engagement to combat plastic
waste and marine debris, improve plastic waste management, and enhance
marine debris response and innovation.
As the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I
take special pride in the international title of this bipartisan
legislation, which formalizes U.S. foreign policy to address this
issue, supports USAID's work to curb ocean plastic, and encourages the
United States to explore the development of an international agreement
to foster cooperation on addressing plastic waste globally. I think
this legislation can be the catalyst for that.
The Earth's oceans are a global resource that sustains life
everywhere, whether it is your country, State, or district that has a
coastline or is landlocked. Eighty percent of New Jerseyans live in a
coastal area, and our economy is heavily dependent on these vibrant
communities. Families who depend on our fishing, their real estate,
hospitality, tourism, and outdoor recreation industries rely upon clean
and safe oceans.
These families know that beyond their daily livlihoods, plastic
pollution also threatens human health on a global scale. Once in the
environment, plastics accumulate in and contaminate both human and
animal food chains leading to an array of health risks.
Save Our Seas 2.0 calls on various agencies to research and assess
the effects of microplastics and food supplies and sources of drinking
water so that we can better understand the way plastic is dangerous to
use.
Even at a time--this is where I will close--when Washington seems
more politically divided than ever before, SOS 2.0 represents a
significant bipartisan environmental victory that I sincerely hope will
serve as a stepping stone toward more progress to tackle this growing
global problem.
There is no single solution to the marine debris crisis. Ocean
stewardship is critical to preventing the collapse of marine ecosystems
that support global fisheries that feed billions of people around the
world. Addressing plastic waste of the ocean supports economic growth
and trade, public health, and safe recreation.
I look forward to building upon the bipartisan support we have
achieved with this bill and working with the next administration on
ensuring the dutiful execution of the programs we established in SOS
2.0 and securing appropriations in support of the bill's goals and
objectives.
Again, with my congratulations to my colleagues and my thanks for the
work they have done together, I will yield the floor to our colleague
from Rhode Island.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, today is a happy day for me to be
joining my friends Senator Menendez and Senator Sullivan here on the
Senate floor to celebrate the successful conclusion of a second chapter
in a long effort to address the problem of ocean plastics pollution,
which has been described so well by my friend Senator Sullivan.
When we began, there was actually no program whatsoever on ocean
plastics in the Senate. There had never been legislation in this area.
With Senator Sullivan's support, we decided to see what the traffic
would bear, see what the Senate and the House might tolerate in terms
of legislating in a new area. For that, we undertook the Save Our Seas
bill. And at the end of the day, after a certain amount of static,
actually on both sides of the aisle, we were able to get Save Our Seas
passed by unanimous consent. Every single Member of the Senate had to
agree to it. To me, that was a really exciting test to the proposition
that Senators actually care about this. One of my favorite moments in
that whole episode was when a Senator, with whom I am often at war--
Senator Inhofe of landlocked Oklahoma--became an ally and a friend and
a supporter of Save Our Seas, the original bill. And he did so because
he had childhood experiences on the gulf coast with sea turtles that
made him care about the plastic that was piling up in the oceans and
strangling and drowning sea creatures.
It has, this topic, a gift, I guess, for bringing people together.
And based on that success and that unanimous consent--and it cleared
the House the same way on what they call suspension over there--we
undertook 2.0; 2.0 is going to be bigger, better than 1.0. And it sure
is bigger, better. And the role of Senator Menendez in putting some
real structure to the international component of this was essential.
Senator Menendez is our ranking member on the Foreign Relations
Committee. In that role, he was essential in seeing to it that this
bill, with such a big Foreign Relations Committee footprint, cleared
that committee with momentum and good to go.
We are now in the happy position that 2.0 has passed as well. It
creates a new marine debris foundation. It creates a genius prize for
innovation in trying to get rid of or reinvent or reimagine our plastic
disposal system. It creates new research to tackle this issue. It
focuses more, as I said, directly on our international relations
because so much of the marine plastic waste comes out of foreign shores
and down foreign rivers. It also focuses on our domestic waste
management program.
This is a good step. I have heard people say that 2.0 is not enough.
Darn right it is not enough, but this is how you build momentum. You
prove that you can do something and that the Senate is willing to act
on it. Then, you stand on that platform and you build a bigger, better
bill, and you get
[[Page S7488]]
that passed. And now Senator Sullivan and I are already discussing what
3.0 might look like.
I am not in a position to speak for Senator Sullivan, but I am
interested in looking under the hood of the recycling industry. When
you put your plastic waste into a blue bin to go off and get recycled,
how much of it actually does get recycled? How can we make sure that
there is, in fact, a circle in which plastic gets manufactured, put
into use, brought back out of the system, and not left in the ocean,
not left as waste on our lands? How can you develop what is called the
circular economy for plastic?
Plastic is a weird thing. Nature hasn't seen plastic before. It
doesn't biodegrade the way things that were made by the Lord
biodegrade. Nothing eats it. If something does eat it, it just piles up
in its body or goes through it neutrally. It provides no nutrition or
value to anything. It is just this new thing out there. We need to
figure out how to deal with it, and we need to get it the heck out of
our oceans.
More to come on this. But let me take this moment to thank Senator
Menendez for his leadership, particularly, on the foreign side of this,
and Senator Sullivan for his leadership and for being such a terrific
ally in this cause.
With that, I yield back.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska
Mr. SULLIVAN. Let me wrap up here by mentioning that, as we already
talked about, the Congressional Research Service has called this the
most comprehensive ocean cleanup legislation ever to come out of the
Congress. As Senator Whitehouse said, 6 years ago, we were starting at
nothing. And then we got Save Our Seas 1.0, primarily about cleaning up
our own coastlines.
There are a lot of funny stories there, but we did have a really
interesting--and I thought entertaining--signing ceremony at the White
House with the President and Senator Whitehouse. The two hadn't met
before. They got along really well, particularly talking about this
issue. And it did motivate the Trump administration to start focusing
more. You may have seen in the new NAFTA, the USMCA, the first trade
agreement has a whole section on ocean cleanup and a whole section on
fisheries and sustainable fisheries. This is a really important
precedent for the U.S. government, regardless of party.
As Senator Menendez mentioned, a lot of focus internationally. I want
to thank him again, in terms of the Foreign Relations Committee. Our
ability to help other countries--we are certainly not perfect, but the
big challenge on a lot of the oceans, in terms of cleanup and what
comes onto the shores of the United States, what comes onto the shores
of Alaska in terms of plastics and pollution, comes from overseas. We
need to help there. As Senator Whitehouse also mentioned, improving our
domestic infrastructure to prevent marine debris--so we are setting our
own example, not just helping other countries--and then enhancing our
own domestic response.
Senator Whitehouse mentioned this Marine Debris Foundation. This is a
congressionally chartered private organization. There are not many in
the country. This is a big deal. Thank the Red Cross. Thank the
American Legion. These are congressionally chartered organizations that
will give this effort public-private partnership energy to address the
problem. That is exactly what we are focused on here, and that is why
we thought it was so important to have a Marine Debris Foundation as an
enduring element of the U.S. leadership that is now exemplified by Save
our Seas 2.0.
I will mention one final thing. You know, one of the things that I
thought was very important--we are going to keep this together--is we
worked hard not to single out one industry or one area: Hey, you are
not doing a good job; you need to get your act together. What we said
when we put this bill together is we are going to bring in all the
stakeholders--Democrats, Republicans, the executive branch, Federal
agencies, industry, key environmental groups, ocean conservancy, World
Wildlife Foundation--and get everybody together--the Alliance to End
Plastic Waste, which is an initiative in the private sector, and say:
What can we do together to solve this problem? That is what we did. All
the stakeholders came together. Everybody worked closely together, good
ideas, pulling on the same oar. And that is how we got this done.
You know, one of our finest Senators, Lamar Alexander, gave his
farewell speech just last week, and he talked about this idea of a
split screen in the Senate. Yes, there is contention. Yes, there are
battles. The media loves to play those up. But there is also another
element about what we do here where there is strong bipartisan support
on really big issues: the CARES Act, the NDAA, the Great American
Outdoors Act--probably the biggest conservation bill in 50 years--21st
Century Cures; these are all things that we are getting done here that
matter to the American people in a bipartisan way. You don't always
read about them in the press, but they are still happening. And now we
can add to that list the biggest ocean cleanup legislation in the
history of the country going to the President's desk for signing here
in the next couple of days. It is something our fellow Americans should
know about. And as Senator Whitehouse said, we are going to build on
that too.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, I should add a few other thank-yous
because this, obviously, took a lot of effort to get through all these
different committees in the Senate and the House and to get it passed
on the Senate and House floor. I want to start on the House side, with
the equivalent of the Whitehouse-Sullivan show is the Young-Bonamici
show on the other side; Representative Bonamici and Representative
Young, whom Senator Sullivan mentioned, were the key people working
this issue.
I want to thank my delegation, Jim Langevin and David Cicilline,
because, during key points when it looked like things were jamming up
over there, they jumped up with their leadership and with their
colleagues to help move things along, and I believe Representative
Young did as well.
I want to thank the majority leader, Steny Hoyer, who at a really
critical moment, when this could have gone one way or another, made
sure it went the right way and got us teed up to get the thing done in
the House and back here where we could move it in the Senate.
In the Senate, I have spoken about Senator Menendez's critical role,
but, of course, as chairman, Senator Risch also had to support and
permit this to go forward. It had to clear Commerce, where Senator
Wicker and Senator Cantwell were supportive and helped move this along.
Senator Wicker, indeed, has been a member of our Oceans Caucus from an
early stage and has been very helpful on oceans issues.
Then on our--Senator Sullivan's and my--Environment and Public Works
Committee, Chairman Barrasso and our ranking member, Senator Carper,
were all very supportive.
Things like this don't get done without a lot of people pulling
together, and I just wanted to make sure that I thanked all of them as
I close out here on this subject.
So thank you.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.